Will Xbox One Support Windows 8 Apps? Microsoft (MSFT) Clarifies Reports On Whether 8.1 Will Sync To Console

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL) states on its Xbox One product page that “all your favorite Windows 8 apps” will be able to run on and sync with Microsoft Corp.’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) upcoming console. Microsoft says that the description is inaccurate -- but that doesn't mean future Xbox One customers should dash all their hopes for a more unified experience.

Dell’s Xbox One product description was first pointed out in a message board, and then reported by Engadget’s Sean Buckley: “With all your favorite Windows 8 apps able to be run on and synced to your Xbox One, now your phone, desktop, tablet and TV can all give you a unified web and entertainment experience,” the website claims.

A Microsoft spokesperson then emailed AllThingsD and said the “suggestion that all Windows 8 apps run on Xbox One is not accurate.” However, Microsoft’s statement notably ignored a few key concepts relating to app connectivity between Xbox One and other gadgets.

The Xbox One will run a dual operating system, consisting of an Xbox OS for gaming and a Windows 8 OS primarily for multitasking and media consumption. This dual-OS means that certain apps will need little to no adjustments to run on Xbox One, which the Redmond, Cal.-based company confirmed earlier this year. Microsoft also does not discount the notion that certain apps will “sync” data between the Xbox One and Windows 8.1 devices.

If the Xbox One is able to sync data with desktops, laptops, tablets and Windows Phone, then it will give Microsoft a much-needed edge over competitors like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). Apple has a device that interacts with consumer televisions and home theaters systems, but Apple TV is much less powerful and full-featured than the existing Xbox 360. The company is rumored to be working on both a new version of Apple TV (which it did not announce at an event Tuesday) and a game console of its own to compete with a device it expects from Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

The Verge also reported last month that Microsoft is developing a single app store for use across Windows 8.1 computers, Windows Phone 8.1 (codenamed “Blue”) devices, and potentially even the Xbox One -- but support for the older 360 is less likely. Microsoft is expected to combine the Windows Phone Store and Windows Store in an update to their respective operating systems in “Spring 2014,” according to sources familiar with the matter.